Former England captain Michael Atherton backs Yorkshire’s Harry Brook ahead of Jonny Bairstow at number five

London [UK], May 29 (ANI): Former England captain Michael Atherton said that the national side should pick up young Yorkshire batter Harry Brook ahead of Jonny Bairstow at number five for the test series against New Zealand.
“I would have to pick him ahead of Bairstow at No. 5, just because of the form he is in. His first-class form has been exceptional,” Sky Sports quoted Michael Atherton as saying.
Atherton said that the batter will never be in better form than this.
“When you pick a young player is so important and he will never be in better form than this, never be more confident than this. He may go off the boil at some stage and then if you put him in the team it might be slightly unfortunate,” he said.
Brook has scored a fifty in 10 out of his innings across all competitions during this season, eight times in the County Championship where he averages 140 and twice during the T20 Blast.
The 23-year-old looks unlikely to make his Test debut at Lord’s with newly-appointed Test captain Ben Stokes and former skipper Joe Root being joined by Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow in the middle order.
However, the former English skipper expects the selectors to stick with Bairstow at number five.
“Bairstow was the success story of the winter. He has been away in the IPL but in the Test stuff before that, he had two hundreds, one in the West Indies and another at the end of the Ashes,” he said.
“It is not absolutely straightforward and the slight conundrum has been created by the fact Stokes has said Root will go back to No.4 and they want Pope to have a dash at No.3. I do not think England will slip Brook in that middle order but the temptation must be there – it must be so tempting to play a young man who is in that kind of form,” he added.
Former England Test Captain Joe Root is also impressed with his Yorkshire teammate Brook and his level-headedness.
“How level he has been. I think that is a really good trait to have at such a young age. He has got great work ethic and thinks a lot about the game. He loves batting and has made the most of the opportunities he has had. He has not got bored or gone away from what has worked for him. If he can stay level, he will be a hell of a player,” he said. (ANI)